Well, better, best, badly, worse and worst

Key Notes:

  • Adjectives describe nouns (e.g., good, bad).
  • Adverbs describe verbs or adjectives (e.g., well, badly).

  • Good (adjective):
    • Comparative: Better (used to compare two things).
    • Superlative: Best (used to describe the highest quality among three or more things).
  • Bad (adjective):
    • Comparative: Worse (used to compare two things).
    • Superlative: Worst (used to describe the lowest quality among three or more things).

  • Well: She plays soccer well.
  • Better: She plays soccer better than her brother.
  • Best: She plays soccer best among all her teammates.
  • Badly: He sings badly.
  • Worse: He sings worse than his friend.
  • Worst: He sings the worst in the choir.

  • Discuss the context in which each word is used. For example, “well” can refer to health (“I feel well”), while “good” refers to quality.

  • Using ‘Good’ instead of ‘Well’: For example, saying “I did good on the test” instead of “I did well on the test.”
  • Misunderstanding Comparatives and Superlatives: Clarify that “better” and “worse” are used for comparisons, while “best” and “worst” are used for the highest or lowest degree.

let’s practice!